LIMPOPO – Police had to keep a large crowd at bay that gathered when the decomposed body of a woman was discovered in mealie fields near Tshiozwi on April 11.
When news about the discovery started circulating, bystanders gathered and speculated that she might have been killed elsewhere, and the body dumped only later.
To complicate matters for the law enforcers, heavy rain showered the scene as the body was being loaded into the forensic pathology vehicle.
Thendo Mavhandu, the passerby who found the body, said he was taking a shortcut through the bushes on his way home to Tshiozwi when he made the gruesome discovery.
“I noticed an strange object that looked like a person, and on closer inspection I found that it was a body that had already been decomposing. The person must have been in the bush for some time,” he said.
In response, he alerted villagers who live in the vicinity, who in turn alerted the police.
Police spokesperson Sgt Irene Radzilani confirmed that the body of woman was found in the bush.
“We are pleading with the community to assist us in this regard,” she said. She confirmed that a murder docket had been opened.
“We appeal to anyone who might have information about the incident to notify the police nearest to them,” said Radzilani.
Zoutpansberg Community Development Forum (ZCDF) chairperson, Patrick Sikhutshi said they were shocked about the gruesome murders of young women happening in Madombidzha and Tshiozwi.
On January 23 this year, the body of a 15-year-old Gr 10 learner from Maneledzi High School, Lungisani Phosa, was also found in a field in the area.
“We are worried about the loss of life due to criminality. We call on the police and detectives in particular, to follow up on these murders and bring the perpetrators to book.”
